Mark Wahlberg’s career has been revived in the past few years thanks to appearances in different kinds of movies and for showing off his ability to perform fantastic comedy (Especially the wonderfully hilarious “The Other Guys).  Now, in “2 Guns”, Mark Wahlberg teams up with Denzel Washington for action and comedy hijinks, that unfortunately aren’t nearly as successful as they should be.

Bobby (Denzel Washington) and Stig (Mark Wahlberg) are men on the outskirts of the law, having a moral code that separates them from the truly deplorable, but also having the ability to get any job done. However, a bank robbery gone south results in them being targeted by the C.I.A., a mexican cartel, some NAVY Seals and feelings of distrust between the two of them.

Wahlberg has an irresistible personality that makes any of his characters instantly lovable. His consistently humorous dialogue falls out of his mouth with a speed that makes any race car feel slow in comparison. An opening scene depicting him and Washington arguing over how to accomplish a heist, while also arguing over whether or not Washington wants pancakes for breakfast, has an energetic pace that is contagious and instantly draws you in.

Unfortunately, since the duo get separated for about 30 minutes of the film, the film’s sense of spark and fun gets drained pretty quickly, with neither of these protagonists (not even Wahlberg’s) being that interesting on their own. Once they reunite, the plot they have to work with is both dull and oddly overcomplicated.  You’re more likely to catch Z’s than any sense of  adrenaline in the last half of the film, especially a finale that’s just reduced to a bunch of bullets fired and unimaginative quick cuts.  “2 Guns” is filled with wasted potential, since director Baltasar Kormakur made some interesting choices early in the film (a scene depicting a showdown between a CIA agent and a Washington’s superior has some unique staging), but it gets lost amidst all the repetitive violence and cliche characters.

There was some promise here originally, but it fades by the time the end credits begin. There’s just enough to save the movie from being bad in any regard, but squandering this much potential feels oddly insulting. “2 Guns” would love to come in guns-a-blazing, with top notch action and comedy, but it winds up missing the bullseye on those and many more accounts.